processes which ensure fairness, responsiveness and high-performance.
Leaders who:
are committed to sector stewardship
are systems thinkers
drive culturally and psychologically safe workplaces
tell the sector’s stories with pride.
People who:
have the skills the sector needs, for now and the future
have opportunities for career development and learning
understand the craft of public service.
Goal 3: We better enable people to build their public sector experiences
Action
What is this action about?
Who are the partners?
Expected delivery by
Focusing on professional capability
Undertake a workforce planning process for the sector focused on building and maintaining the sector’s core internal capability.
An important part of being responsive to the community and government is having the right skills, knowledge, and experience accessible within the public sector—often referred to as the right skills at the right time in the right place.
Identifying the core public sector skills (such as policy or human resources) and expertise needed now and for the future is essential.
This action is focused on identifying the core and common public sector functions and related professions we need to maintain and build to ensure the sector’s internal capability to support the work of government.
Mid-2024
Approaches to capability development
Deliver a sector-wide plan that focuses on the development of the core expertise, roles and professions which are common across the sector and are critical to support the work of government.
It is not enough to identify the core and common public sector functions and professions—we must have a plan to develop and retain these critical capabilities.
Approaches to developing these functions and professions will need to be tailored and respond to the current and future needs of the sector.
This action builds on Action 6 to create a plan for developing the sector’s internal capability centred on non-frontline roles needed across the sector to support the work of government.
End of 2024
Mobilising professional capability
Determine appropriate system(s) and process(es) to mobilise non-frontline public sector expertise, roles and professions which are common across the sector.
There is already a high degree of, and desire for, mobility within the sector as people move between jobs and across public sector organisations.
A key element of growing our core public sector skills and expertise is providing opportunities for people with priority skills to move within the sector and deepen their expertise.
This action builds on Actions 6 and 7 to determine the most appropriate systems, processes and mechanisms for mobilising the core non-frontline professional capabilities within the sector.
Department of Education
End of 2025
Improved graduate pathways
Design a new sector-wide non-frontline graduate program aimed at launching and supporting meaningful public sector careers.
Our ageing population and predicted talent shortages mean we need a renewed focus on the future public sector workforce
There are already many great public sector graduate programs operating in Queensland and the sector can benefit from an holistic approach to graduate employment
This action aims to create consistent experiences across the sector for incoming graduates—including looking at how graduates are recruited, trained and supported to pursue their longer-term public sector career aspirations.
Department of the Premier and Cabinet
Department of Transport and Main Roads
End of 2024
Goal 4: We better identify future leaders and grow diverse potential
Action
What is this action about?
Who are the partners?
Expected delivery by
Purpose-driven leadership
Implement new chief executive performance expectations which promote contemporary, inclusive and accountable leadership practices aligned to the Public Sector Act 2022.
The Act provides guidance about the role of public sector chief executives, including the important role they play in reframing the relationship with Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islander peoples and promoting equity and diversity in the public sector.
Chief executives of departments are also the primary policy advisor to their Minister and responsible for stewarding the public sector including by working together collaboratively to tackle sector-wide policies and priorities.
• This action will create clearer performance expectations for chief executives and their critical role in modelling contemporary leadership practices that drive a responsive, culturally capable, fair, high-performing and apolitical public sector.
Mid-2024
Purpose-driven leadership
Implement new leadership and performance expectations for the senior executive service, senior officers and emerging leaders aligned to the Public Sector Act 2022.
Senior leaders in the Queensland public sector are critical to delivering outcomes by providing objective and impartial advice to their chief executive and to government, championing the public sector principles outlined in the Act and adopting a public service-wide perspective in their work.
Existing senior leaders need to understand what is expected of them, and emerging senior leaders need to know the skills and traits they should focus on developing.
This action will create clear leadership and performance expectations for senior executives, senior officers and emerging leaders to ensure they are recruited, developed and managed based on contemporary leadership practice and performance expectations.
Mid-2025
Sector-wide leadership
Design a development program for executives (chief executives and the senior executive service) focused on sector stewardship and systems thinking.
The Act calls on executive leaders to adopt a public service-wide perspective, which requires viewing the sector as an interconnected ecosystem.
Sector stewardship, systems thinking, and collaboration will demand new skills, knowledge and practices.
This action will focus on building the stewardship and system thinking capability of executive leaders through a new leadership program that meets the needs of this busy and diverse leadership cohort.
